Who I Am
by Pio
Summary: Cloud must deal with the demons of his past... and angels.
1. Default Chapter

Who I Am

Pio

Author's Note: Yeah, my attempt at a dramatic, angst story. Yeah, I'm not a very good or well known writer, but hell, I think it's worth a shot.

Prologue

The blackness and the snow seemed to blend together. Beautiful, the man who stood at the center of it all thought. The cold blackness with the shimmering warm light of the snow, and how it slowly fell down. He hadn't experienced this for years.

How long had it been for the man, now finally being able to admire nature, for which may have been his last time. But, how was this that he was able to live again? This shouldn't be the last time. This time should have never happened.

He turned, and walked away from the snowfall, but then the darkness faded into that of a small town. It lay at the bottom of mountains… Nibelheim. How could he ever forget this place. This had been the cause of his deeds, this had been the start of his second life. 

This, was also the place where the cause of both his deaths had been nurtured. This was where his opposite had also been born and reborn. His eyes narrowed. He wouldn't allow it to happen again. He then realized the snow was melting on him, and that he was cold. He brought up his right hand to shield his eyes, but something was weighing it down.

He trailed his eyes down the length of his arm, and there it was. The sword that had claimed so many lives… so much life wasted. But it had been neccesary to do so, for him. He had needed that blood to reach the Promised Land. But the sword had forgotten one blood that he also needed to get the Promised Land.

His own. He had not believed that he would need to die in order to reach the land of the ancient cetra. He had been wrong. So once again, he had returned to the place where his second life had begun. And here, at the birth of his third life, he would do what he had planned correctly. 

This time… he would not fail. And when one is defeated the first time, he learns what not to do the second. This time, he would not let Cloud Strife kill him.


	2. A Silent Goodbye

Who I Am  
  
Chapter 2 – A Silent Goodbye  
  
AVALANCHE was gathered together, celebrating the end of their quest. Memories were shared, laughs were given and the alcohol ran freely. But one member was not enjoying himself. Vincent sat alone in a corner, quietly sipping his beer. He was not at all showing any sign of enjoyment.  
  
"Hey, Vinny, join the party! There's a lot to celebrate!" Cid Highwind yelled from across the room. The party had been traveling for three days now, stopping at all the major towns. Kalm, Junon, Coasta Del Sol and all the rest. They were about to head back to the remains of Midgar, where they would finally disperse.  
  
Vincent was back in Nibelheim, where he belonged. He remained silent, and thought of Cid's words. There's a lot to celebrate, He thought, but none of them are the one I would want to celebrate with. He had avenged Lucrecia, but still, it tore open his soul knowing he had failed her.  
  
He had to escape.  
  
He quickly stood, and without showing any emotion, walked out of the home. Cloud Strife noticed the movement, and followed the man, trailing behind him was Tifa. They shut the door quietly, not to attract the attention of the others. Cloud called out his name, "Vincent!"  
  
Vincent disregarded the younger man's voice. How could he understand the pain that he was in, knowing that the one you loved could never come back. He at last realized he couldn't just run away from his comrades, he would have to answer.  
  
"Cloud, I'm leaving now." He replied, in his quick uncaring tone. He hoped that such a sudden response would not give away the distress within himself. He was wrong.  
  
Cloud tried, "What's wrong? We won, and we're finally free! No more fighting, hating or traveling! It's all fun, food and lov…" He stopped. That what he was about to say was exactly why the older man was leaving. Loved ones… he had none. Sure, his friends were AVALANCHE, but he did not love them, they were just comrades.  
  
"I understand Vincent, but were almost done, and then you can go back…" He also realized something. Where did this man live? Now that he had killed Hojo, his sins were attoned for; he would not have to sleep in his coffin anymore. Vincent finished the sentence for him.  
  
"Home. Yes, I intend to find a home… here. It was good to work with you." He held out his human hand, the black glove still covering it. He had said that his stained hands would never touch another soul, and taint them. He intended to stick with that.  
  
Cloud understood that this was goodbye. And there was no way of stopping him. He extended his own arm, and the two shook hands. Cloud said, "Keep in touch."  
  
"I will." Both men knew this was a lie. One wanted solitude, the other wanted friends. The two didn't mix. And with a nod at Tifa, the half- man named Vincent Valentine turned around, and slowly made his walk towards the mountains. His journey was beginning.  
  
Tifa stood there, waiting for Cloud. She knew the two had been good friends, just as she knew that Cloud had loved Aeris. But, she also knew, that she was now his. What seemed to her like a second, was an eternity to Cloud. He came to the harsh realization that soon they would all part.  
  
He turned, and went up to Tifa. She said quietly, "He's not coming back, is he?" Cloud silently shook his head no. Her head bowed down for a second, but she soon regained her composure.  
  
"Let's go back in. The others are probably waiting." The two walked back in, hand in hand. They wished the next morning would never come.  
  
And from across the street, a pair of green eyes surveyed it all. He was still weak, and he knew that striking now would endanger his revenge. He walked away from the window and pulled out a small burlap sack. He dumped the contents onto his bed. Materia… and he carefully placed them into the sword, which had claimed so many lives. The Masamune seemed to glow.  
  
The son of two mothers whispered a silent prayer. The prayer that asked that the cetra would grant him safe passage to his goal. That their power would not interfere. It seemed to him that this was answered with a yes. He grinned, and silently laid down upon the bed, and let unconsciousness claim him.  
  
  
  
Within the Ancient Capital, light once again came forth from the crystalline city. The holy materia glowed again. With exceptional light, the small orb silently rose from its resting place. And it went forth, to a small pool of clear water. It entered the body of a young flower girl. Her green eyes snapped open.  
  
And at that same time, so did Cloud's. He quickly sat up in bed. The dream… it had seemed so real. It seemed as if it had happened. He calmed himself, and then realized that the sun was out. It was time to go back to Midgar… where it had all started. 


End file.
